The girls spent the next few hours teaching Lila the game, and eventually the air started cooling. The girls set the pieces back in their proper places and rang the bell once more for someone to get their glasses and the pitcher. Lila was brought back to the first room where she had eaten earlier, and the girls dressed her in a gown more like the first one she had worn. This one was a long slim rough woven silk shift, the lightest green there ever was. The neck had rows of embroidery all around, in the shape of vines with small birds sitting in the leaves. The embroidery came down her shoulders and along her arms, and wrapped around her wrists. There was an overdress, emerald colored- like the prince's eyes- that just went over her shoulders, and was open at her sides down to her hips. The front and back of the dress was slim, so you could see the underdress, and flared wide at the bottom. There were wide bands of colored silk around the bottom, matching the colors of the birds each with a row of vines embroidered along them. Her braids were pulled up and looped under, and a light green silk scarf placed upon her head with a band of braided emerald silk wrapped around to hold it in place; a long gold chain was placed around her neck, with a jeweled bird hanging just at the center of her ribs.
The girls walked with Lila to the Grand Hall. The Grand Hall looked just like the room where she had met the prince sitting on his throne that morning. Only instead of a long carpet leading you to the throne, there were three long rows of tables around the perimeter of the room, starting on either side of the door, each one raised slightly from the one before it. The front center of the room had only two rows; except for the very center, which was a single table raised higher than any of the others, and had a huge chair carved to look like a bear, except hollowed out and lined with plush green velvet. The center of the room was a large open area. The ceiling had large gilded chains hanging from them, each holding a gilded tree; each leaf a diamond crystal, the light from the candles they contained reflected throughout the room.
Lila was brought over to where the other Ladies from the court were being seated. The young Lords of the court were seated opposite, as not every one of the girls could catch the attention of the prince, though they were there to catch the attention of a proper man to marry. Eventually the room filled up, save for a few seats; there was a loud trumpeting and the prince was announced. Everyone stood from their seat, the prince walked in and sat in his big bear chair; Lila thought it looked as though the bear had eaten the prince.
Kitchen boys came out and began filling glasses, Lila made note that you could tell someone's station by the number of servers in each area. The prince had a drink server all to himself. A priest stood and blessed the prince, "Not every man who is set to rule is fit to rule. Not every ruler is kind and cares for his people. Sometimes the Heavens are not fair. Sometimes they take a just and fair ruler from us. A lesson to be learned, for sure. Our kind prince, he is beloved by his people. But the Heavens, they cast their net that night, and brought up the lives of many. We thought our prince was one of those lost the night of that storm; the Heavens saw fit to return him to us. That was nearly four months ago. Our prince is now recovered full, and of age to be married and crowned. With that, let us have a blessed feast tonight and festival this week to celebrate our prince." After the blessing a woman in a big dress that stood way out from her body came to stand in the middle of the room and began singing.
Various dishes began to come out, each presented to the prince first. Once the prince was served, then others would too. Lila had never seen so much food in her life. Rabbit cooked in red wine and juniper berries with blood sauce, a pottage* of veal with pears and cinnamon, a quail broiled in honey stuffed with bread and plums, there was a whole stag brought out- it had been cut and cooked, then put back together- presented to the prince and sliced into, a leg of veal stuffed with hard cooked duck eggs which was sliced for presentation, a baked apple stuffed with pork sausage, stuffed heron, stewed plums, a jelly in the shape of the prince's crest, fruits, pastry, and cheese.** Lila could barely manage more than a few bites of each item with how much there was.
When Lila was full she sat and watched the entertainment with the others. After the singer had been an acrobat, and after that a puppet show in a round stage of sorts. Then the dancers came. The first dancer was tall and beautiful; her clothes tight to her body with a grand skirt standing away from her all around her hips. She danced a slow graceful dance alone, and another with a man who was dressed to look like the prince. The pair danced as they told the story of the prince getting washed overboard.
First the two were dancing and enjoying lively music, and the music changed and the two ran about the room as if taking cover. The music became more intense and the girl grabbed a painted silk scarf from a small basket- it was painted with one of the flashes of light that had attacked the ship- and she began leaping and twirling after the 'prince' until she caught up with him and he fell to the ground. She discarded that silk for another painted with the ocean on it. The 'prince' was still on the ground, and the girl would take her water scarf trailing behind her and leap over him, running in from many directions. She went close to him and twirled the silk around him and he rose within. She draped the silk over his shoulder and the two danced as one; he held her for high jumps and twirled her around himself. They each took an end of the silk and danced about the room, rolling themselves in and out of the scarf; together, then away. The music slow and sweet. Their movements became slower and he dropped the scarf. She exchanged that one for another silk, this one was stretched on a hoop and painted as the sun. The 'prince' stood, in mock sleep, while the music became more triumphant; she leapt about around him, tossing the sun up into the air and catching it again waking him from his water induced slumber. The music ended with the 'prince' raising his arms at his side with the sun held right behind his head.
Lila watched the dancers, telling her story. "You will be graceful beyond any other, and dance will come easily to you," she heard the witch again.
The dancers were followed by a choir of children, and a soloist. The girl looked to be the same age as Lila, and was very beautiful. Her voice was most beautiful of all though. She sang a beautiful song of love and heartache. If the prince only knew that I had traded my voice away forever to be with him. It is ever so unfair I cannot tell him that I was the one who saved him. Then two chairs were brought out for a pair of ladies with tall string instruments. Their tune was low and sweet. Lila thought of the witch again. She said dance would come ever so easily to me.
Lila stood and stepped into the center of the room. Her steps were so tender and graceful that the musicians did not even notice her walk between them. She swayed a moment and began to dance. She danced fast, and then slow; gaily at first, then the sorrow reached her eyes. I can never go home again; I do hope the prince will notice me. Her sadness pierced every person in the room watching her. She was more graceful than any dancer that had performed that night and she touched the heart of all met her gaze. The song ended, and the two musicians looked at each other and played another song, so that Lila may dance again. Each step was terrible, and Lila was in agony; which only added to the macabre beauty of her dance.
The night ended when the bells rang outside signaling the time. Guests were filing down the main hall in one direction to meet with their carriages, and the courtiers staying in the palace headed to their rooms. Lila was met in the hall by her two escorts. They took her back to her room again. Once there, they helped Lila change into bed clothes and opened a wall panel into another room. "This is where we will be sleeping, should you need us." She opened another wall panel into a huge room, "This will be your room. We already set a fire for the evening. Would you like the curtains open tonight?" Lila shook her head. The girl pulled back the blankets getting the bed ready then pulled on a rope hanging along the back of the bed. "This will ring in our room to let us know if you need anything, goodnight." Lila was left alone in the soft glow of the fire. She climbed into the bed and pulled the blankets up over herself. I surely must get a soul. For if living among the stars eternally is anything like this, I should never want for anything more. Lila dozed off, warm and happy.
*Pottage is stew, fancy pottage is actually called frumenty- which is a word most people don't know, and sounds gross- but is a thick stew made of wheat and cream and meat*** with sugar and fruit and nuts.
**I based this menu off of real medieval menus, some of these foods I have eaten before and are quite tasty.
***Because they are 1- wealthy and 2- next to the ocean, this meat would most likely have been porpoise [historically] but nobody wants Arnold eating a dolphin I am quite certain. Hence- my use of veal.
The more you know :D